Search
  1. Home
  2. West Africa
  3. Sierra Leone

RUF wants partnership with civil society

    ABIDJAN

    The Revolutionary United Front (RUF), battling to oust Sierra Leone President Alhadji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, wants to play an "integral role in a new transitional government which would be a partnership of civil society and the people", RUF legal advisor Omrie Golley told IRIN on Thursday. He added that the RUF "did not want to power share".

    He was referring to a RUF demand for the establishment of a four-year transitional government. The demand was made in a report the rebels presented on Tuesday - following internal consultations they held in Togo - to Togolese President Gnassingbe Eyadema, who is leading regional efforts to end the conflict.

    A key demand is the unconditional release of Foday Sankoh. Golley said Sankoh, as RUF leader, had "an extremely important role to play in a transitional government".

    Sankoh, awaiting an appeal against his treason conviction, was freed temporarily from prison for the intra-RUF consultations, which were to set the tone for proposed peace talks with Kabbah's government. However, it remained unclear when the peace talks would begin.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join